Car Bomb Kills At Least Nine In Basra

A car bomb has exploded near the outskirts of the southern Iraqi city of Basra, killing at least nine people.

The head of the Basra provincial council security committee, Ali al-Maliki, said the bombing at a bus station on March 17 came soon after another bomb exploded in the center of Basra but caused no casualties.

No group immediately claimed responsibility.

But militants, including those linked to Al-Qaeda, regularly target civilians, security forces, and government employees in a bid to reduce confidence in the government.

Attacks in Basra are relatively rare compared with other areas of Iraq, especially the center, west and north.